Given Anna Netrebko‘s continuing success at the Met in Macbeth (as evidenced by an mid-scene “brava” in last night’s Sirius broadcast), it’s time to think about the future—specifically her local assignments for next season.  

According to that Almanac of the opera queen, the Future Met Wiki, La Netrebko is scheduled to add Il trovatore to her Met repertoire next season, which is as it should be. But her habit in recent seasons has been to do two operas each year at the Met. She was at one point listed next season for Don Pasquale, but obviously that opera is silly for her now. So Anna seems to be missing one opera.

Now, at one point apparently the Met was planning to do Mefistofele next season, and that has (just as apparently) fallen through. The cancellation of this opera would leave Ildar Abdrazakov and an Italianate lirico-spinto tenor (Ramón Vargas?) with nothing to do during that time period.  Abdrazakov sings Banco and most tenors sing Macduff. (Vargas has not so far as I know, but the part is certainly within his powers.) So if the Mefistofele timeframe coincided with Netrebko’s TBA dates, then the company could revive Macbeth for say six performances or so.

It would certainly sell. The production this season is the closest thing the Met has seen to a hit in years. The house was packed last night on Yom Kippur, and I have not heard cheering like that in a long time.

So, should Anna repeat Macbeth? Or what other repertoire do you, the cher public, think appropriate for Anna’s triumphant return?

Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

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